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December 31, 2014 Lessons from the Airport
I’ve been traveling quite a bit lately–standing in long lines at security, enduring cramped flights and noisy neighbors, hoping my bags make it to my destination unruffled. It is easy to adopt a negative attitude while flying, but I’ve come to realize it’s not worth it and it only brings other people down. When it comes to air travel, we’re all in this together.
Sounds kind of like office life, right?
A few bad apples can hamper an entire team or set a negative tone in the office. I encourage you to take the lessons learned from the airport and apply them to your daily office life. It’s amazing what being in close quarters with several hundred strangers can teach us!
1. Be patient
The airplane will arrive when it does, the maintenance crew will change that broken light bulb when it can, and you’ll get to your destination as soon as possible. It doesn’t help to gripe or be pushy. Wait your turn, make pleasant small talk with your neighbors, and focus on the amazing fact that you can fly from point A to point B in a matter of hours. Flying is still a luxury for many people and (as you shuffle off to business meetings or on little trips), it’s easy to lose sight of that.
2. Work together
Instead of bee-lining it to your seat, shoving your bag into the overhead compartment, and turning on your music as you ignore others, offer to help. Maybe someone needs an extra hand with their luggage or maybe a mother needs help situating her child. If we all work together (instead of focusing just on ourselves and our immediate needs), things will go much smoother and we can all enjoy the ride.
3. Be courteous
For some reason, air travel can turn some of us into monsters. We might shove others aside as we jostle for a place in line or we might fight for that last place for our bag in the overhead compartment. Or, we might do something even more common: completely ignore our neighbors for the duration of the flight. I know I’m guilty of it. It’s easy to just wrap ourselves in our personal cocoons and not exchange any pleasantries with our neighbors, but think of everything you might be missing! What if the person sitting next to you is your next big account? Or someone who can help you design that website you’ve always been meaning to build. Make an effort to initiate some small talk and see where things lead.
Wishing you a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year,
Tags: airport lessons, be patient, how an airport is like an office, lessons from the airport, life learning, Margaret Smith, travel lessons, UXL
December 24, 2014 5 Easy Ways to Show Gratitude
Last month’s newsletter was on the importance of gratitude, but I wanted to give you five quick ways you can show it. During the holiday season, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with a long list of things to do—buy presents, prepare food, clean the house, shovel the driveway, etc.—and it’s easy to forget our manners in the shuffle.
Think about the wonderful people around you and remember why we celebrate this time of year. Be grateful for those people and show them your appreciation when they open their home, share their food with you, or buy you a present. Here are five easy ways you can show your gratitude:
1. Say (and write) thank you.
Even if you act grateful (enjoying your meal, praising the gift someone gave you, etc.), it’s still nice to hear the words Thank You. They are worth a lot, especially when said with meaning. And don’t forget the power of a handwritten thank you note. It’s a gesture that shows that you cared enough about the other person that you took time out of your busy day to write something thoughtful.
2. Listen
Too often, we are so busy with all the thoughts in our own heads that we miss what others are saying. Show the person across the table from you that you are grateful for their presence. Sincerely listen to what they have to say before jumping in with your own story or opinion.
3. Extend an invitation and follow through
If there is someone at the office (or perhaps an old friend or relative) with whom you’d like to connect, reach out to them! Too often, we become comfortable in our own cozy bubbles and forget the people at the peripheries of our lives. It’s as simple as asking someone to lunch or a quick cup of coffee.
4. Lend a hand
Whether it’s cleaning up the dishes after a friend’s holiday party or offering to help your secretary prepare for the next office get together, it’s always nice to give others support by helping out.
5. Acknowledge others’ successes
It could be a co-worker, it could be your son or daughter—practice showing gratitude to others by acknowledging their good work. You could do this publicly (i.e. in a company meeting or when you’re gathered together at lunch) or privately. Share a specific example of what that person did or accomplished and let them know you appreciate their excellent work.
It is not difficult to show gratitude, but sometimes it does take conscious effort. Practice being mindful this holiday season and focus on the positive aspects of your life, rather than the negative ones. This way, gratitude will be at the top of your mind and saying things like “thank you” or “I appreciate you because…” will come naturally.
Happy holidays! I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog.
Tags: 5 ways to show gratitude, be thankful, Margaret Smith, say thank you, showing gratitude, UXL
December 10, 2014 How (and Why!) To Make A Mind Map
Have you ever felt lost amid all the things you want to accomplish or all the tasks you need to do? Have you ever felt like your brain was so scattered, you couldn’t keep a clear thought in your head or a clear direction. Sometimes, when I’m feeling that way, I make a mind map.
The main objective of a mind map is to take a large project or idea, and break it down into bite-sized chunks so you can deal with it on a more manageable scale. It’s a great way to get all your thoughts onto one piece of paper and see how they fit in with the main idea.
First, think about one main topic. For instance, “Job Promotion.” Write the main topic in the middle of a large piece of paper. Then, think about big-picture actions that will support your main topic. These actions should be broad and kept between one and three words long. For this example, you could write: “Networking,” “Major Projects,” “Meetings,” “Update Wardrobe,” etc. Draw lines or arrows connecting your main topic to the supporting topics.
Then, think about what, specifically, you could do in each area. For instance, under the Networking box, you could write: “Attend weekly happy hour” or “Arrange for coffee with boss” or “Get to know three new people this month.” You can get as specific as you’d like, creating as many branches as are necessary to capture all your ideas.
Mind maps are meant to help you sort out your thoughts and they might seem messy on the surface, but they are a useful tool for getting your ideas out there and seeing how things connect. Once you create your mind map, try focusing on specific areas in order to achieve your goal. If you take on too much, you’ll get nowhere, so start with one or two goals and then create a more specific action plan revolving around each goal.
Here’s a video about how one could use a mind map to plan an “Egyptian Holiday.”
Happy mapping!
Tags: making a mind map, Margaret Smith, mind maps, organization, organize at work, organize your like, Personal organization, UXL
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